1. Field of the Invention
In its most general aspect, the present invention relates to the broad category of hydraulic engineering. Within that category the invention relates to the field of water control, and in particular to the control of matter buoyantly supported upon the water.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, there has been widespread development of floating boom constructions, stimulated by the intense concern with which pollution of the environment is regarded at this time by the world's population.
Most usually, floating booms designed to confine oil or other floating pollutants are characterized by the provision of an elongate, flexible skirt adapted to be drawn around the area in which the pollutant is to be confined, and buoyantly supported through the provision of floats or their equivalents. Such booms, desirably, should be capable of being folded, accordion fashion, when not in use, and may comprise a plurality of hingedly connected, like sections.
Booms as now known, however, though in many instances possessed of a high degree of efficiency in respect to their operational characteristics, nevertheless have certain deficiencies. For example, it is highly desirable to provide a tension member along the lower edge of the buoyantly supported, generally vertically positioned skirt. The tension member as heretofore used in the art is designed to accept stresses which, for example, may be exerted longitudinally of the skirt. In accepting said stresses, the tension member reduces the possibility of rupture of the skirt fabric, and in addition may aid in imparting a particular operational shape to the fabric found to be especially effective. An example of the use of a tension member in imparting a curved or inclined shape or posture to a skirt in use may be osbserved, for example, in United States patent issued to Rudd, U.S. Pat. No. 3,852,965, issued Dec. 10, 1974. In that patent, the tension member or lower cable is utilized as a tow line, adapted to be pulled in advance of an upper tow line, and the particular cross-sectionally curved configuration imparted to the skirt by the arrangement effectively deflects water currents downwardly and inwardly of the area circumscribed by the boom. Such an arrangement is characteristic of the present invention, being found desirable in booms of this type.
In the mentioned patent, however, as well as in other patents covering floating booms, no provision is made for assuring against the application of stresses to the skirt, in a way to reduce to a complete minimum any tendency of the skirt to rupture during use.
Further, in the prior art booms, the floats connected to the upper edge portion of the skirt have not had a cross-sectional configuration which is specifically designed to impart a highly desirable wave deflecting characteristic to the floats, such as to cause waves or wavelets that strike the float to be turned upwardly and inwardly of the confined area about which the floating boom extends, in a manner calculated to increase the stability of the boom, its resistance to wave action, and its efficiency in confining to said area the oil or other buoyantly supported contaminant.
Still further, the prior art, so far as is known, has failed to produce a means for supporting the lower tension member or cable from the skirt, such as to permit swift and easy connection of the cable to the skirt for the purpose of reducing manufacturing costs, while at the same time permitting the tension member to be fixedly secured to the skirt at regularly spaced intervals along its length, whereby to minimize any tendency of the skirt to rupture at locations along the lower longitudinal edge thereof.